Going Fishing
by Faelady
Summary: With time, all relationships change, even ones between a clueless Mithril mercenary and a hot tempered schoolgirl. But what has changed, and who will realize it first? AU from novels, ch. 1 is kinda short.
1. Choosing the Bait

Title: Going Fishing

Series: Full Metal Panic

Pairing: Sousuke x Kaname

AN: This pretty much AU, given my vague familiarity with the novels. I'm about halfway through _The End of Day by Day_ (which got made into TSR) and have some spoilers for _Dancing Very Merry Christmas_, _Continuing On My Own_, and _Burning One Man Force_, but the timelines are very fuzzy. So we're just gonna say that it happens during an imaginary senior year, pretending that whatever happens in the conclusion to _Burning One Man Force_ (which hasn't been written yet, as far as I know. GAH!!) is happy and leaves them pretty much at status quo as of the end of _Dancing Very Merry Christmas_ (i.e. completely ignoring the events of COMO and BOMF). Confused yet? Yeah, same here. So, um, spoilers for everything up to and including DVMC, because I refer to a scene that actually takes place in that novel. So all you hardcore canon-istas out there—eep, sorry! And there will be lime in part IV, so the rating will increase later. Just so's ya know.

Disclaimer: Not mine. The original characters and concepts belong to Shouji Gatou, who wrote the novels that formed the basis for the animes and manga.

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Part I: Choosing the Bait

Kaname leaned backwards in the chair, arching her spine and wincing at the resultant crackles. Though she refused to attend the cram schools most of her classmates had enrolled in, she had been putting in long hours studying for her college exams, and her body and mind were both utterly stiff. Plus, she had the most awful headache, but she couldn't tell if it was caused more by eyestrain from reading so long or by the uncharacteristic bun she'd put her waist-length hair into to keep it out of her eyes while she studied. She sighed and glanced over at her bodyguard and study partner.

"I'm taking a break. Do you want anything to drink or a snack while I'm up?"

Sousuke shook his head, declining without ever looking up from the thick Japanese history texts that were his choice of study material. They were at her apartment, mainly because it was more comfortable than his place and more secure than a public building like the library.

'_One must always consider security above all else, after all. Especially if that one is Sergeant Sousuke Sagara_.' Kaname's mental commentary didn't contain her long-ago bitterness towards Sousuke's fixation on her safety. After all her kidnappings and his various dramatic rescues, any protests on her part at his security measures were mostly out of habit and not particularly forceful.

Kaname rattled around in her kitchen, collecting snacks and drinks for two despite Sousuke's refusal. She supposed her habit of feeding him stemmed from her discovery that when left to his own devices, he mostly just ate those awful military rations. That was probably also why her snack choices these days were more on the healthy side, she mused as she finished neatly slicing an apple and putting it in a bowl on the tray.

Returning to the living room, she plonked the tray down between them and grabbed one of the apple slices before resuming her seat. Kaname leaned back and stretched her legs in front of her, crunching into her apple slice before eyeing the pile of study materials on the table before her with a decidedly hostile glare. Giving in to the urge for a more extended break, Kaname admitted defeat by pulling the restraints keeping her hair piled on top of her head. Tossing the pins on the coffee table next to the tray, she massaged her fingers against her scalp, her so-black-it-shone-blue hair streaming down behind her.

"I just wish I could take a break from all this!"

"I thought that's what you were doing?" Sousuke's expression was a bit confused as he briefly glanced up from his survey of the history of ancient Japan. History was his weakest subject, especially Japanese history, and so he was putting in extra time on it to make sure he could at least graduate from high school with her—or at least that's what he'd told Kaname. He hadn't mentioned any plans about college, or what he was going to be doing after she graduated.

'_Of course it doesn't bother me, not knowing what's going to happen to us once I graduate. I'm still a Whispered, so I'm still in danger. I don't even know how many times someone's tried to kidnap me these past few years. He'll still have to be here to protect me, I'm sure. Probably.'_

"I mean a vacation, I guess. One that doesn't involve me getting kidnapped, or being held hostage at gun point, or things blowing up." Kaname leaned back further, resting her head on the edge of the chair, staring distractedly up at the ceiling. "It'd just be nice to get away, do a little relaxing, you know?"

"I could make arrangements for that, if you'd like."

"Huh?" Kaname was sure her befuddlement showed plainly on her face, but fortunately Sousuke was still seemingly intent on his history text.

"It's been a while, but I did promise to take you fishing again. If you really want to get away, we've got winter break coming up, and it would be a good time for us to go."

'_Who is this person, and where did he hide my Sousuke?'_ was the first thought that flashed across Kaname's mind, followed quickly by a mental shake of herself for the injustice of it. She was so accustomed to thinking of Sousuke as an awkward, socially inept idiot that his deliberate kindnesses always caught her off guard. But that kindness was as much a part of Sousuke as his ineptitude at relationships. She just had a tendency to forget how sweet he could be, especially whenever he would pull one of his monumentally stupid stunts that made her smack him into the ground.

"I think... I'd like that." Kaname managed to fumble out her answer, and went back to her studies even more confused by the look of pleased relief that had crossed Sousuke's face.


	2. Casting the Lure

AN: Just FYI, this is actually me chopping a longer story into pieces because I'm not quite done with the end. That and I'm such a shortfic writer that it's actually almost painful to try and write longer, so this was my attempt at convincing my poor brain that it wasn't writing that much after all. Also, if my fishing skillz are lacking, please be kind (though do inform me). I'm a strictly freshwater--rivers, lakes, and ponds--kinda gal, so I had to research my saltwater fishing 'fo.

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Part II: Casting the Lure

Unlike last time, Kaname was actually staying where Sousuke had planned for her to stay—in the guest quarters on Melida Island, Mithril's base of operations. No parachuting out of a plane in order to rendezvous with the Tuatha de Danaan this time. Just a neat landing on an airstrip and an escort by Jeep to this nice little house she was told was kept for high-ranking visitors. Since the perks of the accommodations did _not_ include military-style bunks and a communal shower, on the whole she was pleased. Its quiet location on the edge of the compound was an added benefit, affording her some insulation from the bustle and noise of the main part of the base.

_'For a top-secret organization, this place sure is busy. And obvious!' _

Kaname kept this observation to herself as Sousuke drove through the main portion of the base on the way to his favorite fishing spot.

They hadn't had much time there before, when Sousuke had taken her there after Gauron's takeover of the Danaan. Just 30 minutes before she'd had to get on a plane to rush back to ordinary life in Japan. It had seemed almost surreal, the cliché island of peace in the aftermath of trauma.

Now was different, though. This was what he'd meant for that first trip to be, she imagined. Just an ordinary outing, two friends spending time together in an enjoyable activity.

'_Friends_.' Kaname glanced sideways at Sousuke. '_Friends, even though I think I'd like us to be more. Friends because every time I try to open my mouth and tell him how I feel, I just can't follow through. And Sousuke will never notice on his own. I'm going to have to say it if I ever want anything to change.' _

Breaking off that decidedly depressing thought, Kaname chose to instead focus on her surroundings now that they'd left the base proper. She found herself surprised by the beauty of the island that served as the home port of the Tuatha de Danaan. Though how she'd been preoccupied enough to miss what was basically a small jungle on her first trip here, she'd never know. The dense trees and undergrowth were scarred in spots by what she assumed was practice combat. It had the feel of a tropical island, despite the military trappings—which, for all she knew, it could be. After all, she really had no idea of the actual physical location of the island. She couldn't have found this place on a map even if she'd wanted to, which she supposed was kind of the point.

Once they arrived at Sousuke's fishing spot, she oh-so-generously helped him unload the Jeep—though her generosity didn't extend to handling the sloshing pail of unidentifiable small fish.

The rocks at the end of the island formed a natural sort of jetty, or at least she assumed it was natural. That was about as much as she knew. They'd fished from these rocks the last time with only two fishing rods and a small tackle box—nothing like the gear Sousuke had dragged along with them this time.

"So what kind of fish are we trying to catch?" Kaname asked, dusting off her hands on the back of her shorts after dropping the last tackle box behind Sousuke's chosen vantage point.

"Sea bass," Sousuke announced in his 'I'm-the-expert-and-I'm-in-control' voice.

"So how do we catch these sea bass?"

"That depends on what type of bait you want to use. We've got cigar minnows if you want live or we've got some artificials rigged."

Though Kaname didn't consider herself overly girly, she definitely didn't feel up to wrangling around in the pail of small fish in order to find one, catch it, and then attach it still alive to her hook. It could just as well get eaten as soon as she put it in the water without her ever catching a fish, and then she'd have to get another one out of the pail and put it on the hook. The whole process seemed like altogether too much effort without a huge possibility of return.

"Um, not-alive bait, please."

He looked intently for a minute at the assortment of poles he'd dragged along with them before selecting one out of the bunch and handing it over to Kaname. The luridly colored object hanging from the end of the line was vaguely fish-shaped and bristling with hooks. She eyed it with a certain amount of trepidation and disbelief. If _she_ were a fish, she wouldn't let that thing anywhere near her face, much less try to eat it. Heck, she wasn't a fish and she didn't want it near her. She could just see it now—trying to fling that thing out into the water and hooking herself in the cheek with on of the decidedly sharp looking three-pronged hooks.

While Kaname had been standing there trying to remember exactly how she was supposed to get the lure into the water without catching herself, Sousuke had selected another fishing rod for himself and baited the bare hook with a madly twisting minnow.

"Here," Sousuke said, "Do you remember how to cast? Watch."

He cocked his arm back and snapped it forward, adding a flick of the wrist to the end that sent the bait and line whizzing out through the air to plop neatly into the ocean.

After he demonstrated casting a few more times, Kaname quickly caught on and settled into the gentle rhythm of the motions. Despite her fishing inexperience, she found the activity to be kind of soothing. The smooth snap of the cast, the wait for a tug on the line, the slow reel back in to check the bait. Even Sousuke seemed relaxed, which was unusual enough for him.

Then he started talking—also unusual for Sousuke—and to her shock, she found he actually had a hobby. Besides blowing things up, being clueless, and making her life miserable, that is.

He talked animatedly about graphite rods, the merits of artificial versus live bait, the difference between a leader and a line, and proper casting techniques until it all started flying over her head. She felt both confused—something she was used to around Sousuke—and somehow slightly not so bright—something she definitely wasn't used to around Sousuke. After all, _she _was the expert at All Things Normal. Sousuke was supposed to be the clueless one when it came to things involving ordinary life. Sure, during super-secret AS missions or attacks by terrorist organizations, she was mostly over her head while Sousuke operated with relative ease, but that wasn't real life. And fishing was so, well, ordinary. It was if her world was suddenly slightly off balance. It made her look at things differently. It made her look at Sousuke differently, and she wasn't quite sure she liked that.

Then, during a lengthy lull in the conversation, it happened.

"Sousuke!"

"Yes, Miss Chidori?"

"I think I caught something! And I think it's big!" The last came out in a screech and the rod in Kaname's hand bowed under the weight of whatever was on the other end of the line. Sousuke, ever practical, quickly wedged the end of his fishing rod between some nearby rocks and then dove to help Kaname, whose arms were beginning to shake from the strain.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, bracing her, and placed his hands over her own to help her reel. Kaname felt like someone had zapped her with an electric current. Everywhere he touched tingled in the funny buzzing way a leg tingles when circulation returns. She almost felt like she was having one of those out-of body-experiences she remembered from a show on American TV, back when she still lived there with her parents.

Sousuke didn't do casual touching. It was a-OK to throw his body on top of hers to protect her from shrapnel, gunfire, or anything else that might threaten her with harm. It was fine to hold her in his arms as they jumped out of a plane or parachuted off a cliff. Adrenaline fueled hugs in the aftermath of life-or-death situations were simply natural bodily responses in his opinion and so carried no emotional meaning.

This though, this was strange. This was strange on par with Sousuke asking her to go on vacation with him. This was behavior you would expect from a boyfriend, a lover, and not a clueless military maniac.

Even through the excitement of battling whatever monstrous—or maybe not so monstrous—fish she had managed to hook, Kaname became more and more aware of the firm body pressed against her back, of the breath that caressed her ear as he spoke his instructions and encouragements to her, the wiry strength in the arms that braced her, and the slight callus of the hands that enfolded her own.

When they finally managed to pull the fish in, all Kaname could feel was relief that the temptation Sergeant Sagara presented was moving away from her to release the fish from the hook. As Sousuke slid the fish onto a stringer and then moved to find a good place to secure the end, Kaname attempted to get her scattered wits together.

'_How did I not notice that he's developed his social skills? Or is it just me? Is he comfortable enough with just me to act like that?' _

Despite her efforts at normalcy, Kaname felt oddly askew the rest of the afternoon. It was if something had shifted inside her, or more like she was being pulled towards some unknown climactic event.


	3. Setting the Hook

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Part III: Setting the Hook

AN: Just as a note, the next chapter is intended to be lemon, which means that it will be cut down to a lime for posting here on (yes, I am one of the dorks who actually follow the rules). The entire story will be posted uncut on Mediaminer once part 4 is done, for those of you who prefer stronger citrus.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shouji Gatou and various corporations. I am making no profit off of this fanwork.

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Kaname was definitely pouting when she started undressing for the shower, and she knew it. Stupid Sousuke and his stupid fishing. Playing around, talking, holding her—acting almost like a regular guy—and then, boom! Back to Sergeant Serious, who must always ensure the safety of his Whispered charge. Did he really have to insist on waiting for her to get a shower so he could escort her to the mess hall afterwards? It was if she were a toddler and he wanted to make sure she was supervised at all times; either that or some fragile maiden who must be constantly protected against the marauding dragon.

"Damsel-in-distress" wasn't part of Kaname Chidori's repertoire. Whatever crisis she had to face, she always tried to face it head on. Kidnapped? Fine, attempt escape even if you're being shot at. Bugged and stalked? Okay, strip off any possibly contaminated item of clothing and turn the tables on your stalker while wearing a hotel bathrobe. Sure, she got afraid, but she'd never let that stop her from doing what she needed to do. Granted, Sousuke knew more than she ever wanted to know about crisis situations, but even when she knew she was out of her depth, she refused to cave in.

Except for with _this_. Telling Sousuke about her feelings was the single thing she chickened out on, time and time again. Heck, she couldn't even discuss those feelings out loud with anyone.

Unraveling the single braid she'd plaited her hair into to keep it out of the way while fishing, she walked towards the shower in the Western-styled bathroom.

'_I mean, really! It's not like I should actually have to say it!' _Kaname thought wryly to herself. _'Isn't that supposed to be the guy's job or something?_

Kaname began absentmindedly fiddling with the shower knobs as the one-sided conversation continued in her head.

'Sure, I should just have come out and said "Hey Sousuke, I think I've been in love with you for a while now, and by the way, I think you're hot." Ohhh, yeah! That would go over really well! After all, he's never given any indication that he thinks about me like that. Sometimes I'm not even sure he realizes I'm female, much less considers me attractive. I bet he thinks of me as nothing but a loudmouthed tomboy. He didn't even recognize me that time I dressed up in a kimono to save him from that stupid bet.'

Trying to shake off her depressing thoughts, without looking Kaname thrust her hand under the stream of water to check the temperature and let out a loud yelp of surprise when her hand was scalded. She jerked back, cradling her now bright-pink hand to her chest. Insistent knocking began on the bathroom door.

"Chidori, have you been injured?"

She stared mutely at the door. Should she tell him the truth and risk him going all weird on her, or just say fine and go about her shower. It hurt like crazy now, but it would probably be okay in a few minutes. And why was she hesitating, anyway? This wasn't even really a problem!

"Kaname? Is everything okay? Kaname?"

Obviously her second's hesitation had been a second too long for Sousuke, because just as "I'm fine," started to leave her mouth, the door handle rattled briefly, made a snapping noise, and then turned to admit one Sergeant Sagara.

'_Cheap lock for a military base,'_ was Kaname's bemused thought as Sousuke stormed into the tile-covered room with gun drawn, scanning for intruders.

Her momentary shock quickly morphed into embarrassment and anger, a combination bad for Sousuke's health. If Kaname had had her fan, she knew she would have made sure that his face got a closer acquaintance with the tile of the floor. As it was, she attempted to cover all the important parts with her hands, hoping that her hair hid much of the rest.

She had just taken a deep breath in preparation for screaming 'Get out!' at him when his gaze moved from surveying the room for danger to surveying her. She froze momentarily, feeling as if the air had suddenly been knocked out of her. She knew intellectually that he was just checking to see if she was injured but somehow it felt like more. It felt as if his eyes were lingering—with appreciation perhaps?—on her feminine curves.

'_That's impossible. Sousuke wouldn't, couldn't ogle me. Right?'_

The want that tightened her belly and her throat at the possibility of being desired by Sousuke made her even more eager to get him out of the room—before she did something stupid and humiliated herself even further.

"Out! Get out!" Her voice was a weak imitation of her usual strident screech, but it seemed to shock Sousuke into motion nonetheless.

He began hastily backing towards the door, holding his hands in front of him with the flat of the palm facing out as if both to protest his innocence and as a defensive gesture. She noted distantly that his expression had morphed into the "please don't hurt me" look he'd developed after the first few months of her punishing him for various social blunders.

"I'm... I'm sorry Kaname!" he babbled frantically. "I honestly didn't mean... I thought you'd been..."

His retreat took him to the doorway and out of Kaname's range before she really had a chance to make an attempt at retaliation, if she'd been so inclined. He couldn't know that was honestly the last thing on his mind. For a few seconds, Kaname had fought with herself, eventually managing to stifle the impulse to tell him to stay. That she'd even thought of saying that shocked her more than him coming into the room. When the door closed behind him, she breathed a sigh of relief that the most immediate threat to her equilibrium and sanity was gone.

She had plenty of food for thought during her shower, so much so that she stayed under the spray until the water ran cold. She left the bathroom reluctantly, after taking much too long getting ready and having settled nothing internally. Still, she braced herself as she opened the door and walked into the other room where he waited.

Sousuke took a deep breath and met her eyes squarely, a hint of a blush barely visible along his tanned cheekbones.

"I really am sorry, Kaname. I was honestly concerned for your safety. There are any number of fatal accidents that can occur in the bathroom…"

Kaname tuned out the rest of his verbal treatise on the dangers of modern plumbing, focusing instead on his expression and the tone of his voice, both now and when he'd come storming commando-style through the bathroom door.

She knew Sousuke hadn't meant any harm when he'd come bursting through the door of the bathroom. That wasn't what had rattled her so badly. It was what had come after, that brief look of warmth, that spark of male appreciation that had lit his eyes for just a moment. It was the look of tender concern for her—well-mixed with worry for his own personal health—that was on his face now. It was her own response to both of those looks, the warming of desire low in her belly she'd felt both then and now.

It hit her that maybe, just maybe, Sousuke had finally figured out what attraction to the opposite sex was all about. And maybe, just maybe, Sousuke was attracted to _her_. Even after all the time spent in the bathroom trying to sort herself out, Kaname was just beginning to realize that some of the things about Sousuke that she had so long taken for granted had changed somehow without her knowledge. She didn't know how to face this new/old Sousuke, didn't know how he would react, didn't know how to deal with her own reactions to him.

She was glad he made no attempt at conversation during the Jeep ride over to the mess hall. Kaname wasn't sure she could have carried on a coherent conversation with everything that was currently whizzing around in her head. It was a relief when he took her into the mess hall and seated her with some guys she remembered from the Dana's long-ago birthday party before retreating to take a shower of his own.

By the time he returned with his spiky black hair still obviously damp, she had managed to put her confused thoughts aside for the time being and was laughing and chatting amiably with the Mithril soldiers. Instead of coming over to where she sat amidst a crowd of his fellow soldiers, Sousuke made a beeline for the kitchen, where he went into an intense consultation with one of the cooks.

As one of her tablemates distracted her with a comment, Kaname was barely able to see Sousuke hand over some strangely shaped brown paper package to one of the cooks before he headed in the direction of the cluster of guys that surrounded her.

The food in the mess hall was being served in the standard cafeteria style and when Sousuke neatly threaded his way through the pack to stand next to her, Kaname began to stand, expecting to walk over to the beginning of the line with him.

"Do you mind waiting a little while longer to eat?"

"No, that's fine."

Assuming Sousuke wasn't hungry yet, Kaname dropped back to her seat, and Sousuke somehow managed to silently convince one of the soldiers sitting next to her into relinquishing his spot.

'_Wow, who knew Sousuke could be intimidating?'_ Kaname mused as the thread of conversation immediately resumed around her, though she completely tuned it out now to focus on watching him.

Watching him interact with the other Mithril operatives cemented it for Kaname—she hadn't been imagining that her quirky Sergeant Sagara had changed. His fellow soldiers even treated him differently from the last time she'd seen him in a group of them. There was tinge of respect and a little odd deference that hadn't been there before. Before, it had always seemed to Kaname as if they'd seen Sousuke as kind of a kid, despite his long history of battle experience. She didn't think she could quite pin it down, the exact nature of the change in attitude or the reason for the change; just as she couldn't quite pin down when and how he'd changed towards her, or if it was just her being slow to realize it. Seeing whatever it was reflected in his interactions with his fellow mercenaries finally confirmed to her what she'd been confused about since he invited her on this trip, though. Somewhere, somehow, Sergeant Sagara had finally gotten a clue.

'_I guess it's time for me to follow suit, huh?' _ Kaname propped her chin on her hand, looking vaguely in the direction of the door, but mostly concentrating on her own thoughts.

'_I think… I think maybe I've been taking for granted that Sousuke would always be Sousuke. I guess maybe I didn't want him to change, because it was easier… Oh Crap!'_

Kaname had been almost subconsciously dreading the arrival of the captain of the Tuatha de Danaan. They hadn't seen each other since Tessa's brief enrollment at Jindai High School over a year ago, but Kaname remembered clearly the intensity of the other girl's pursuit of Sousuke. Dealing with such a formidable rival on top of her own emotional turmoil was something she really didn't want to handle, so Kaname cringed a bit internally when the delicate ash-blond strolled into the mess hall.

However, Kaname was astonished when Tessa made no effort to take a seat at the table with Sousuke. In fact, she seemed inclined to not even acknowledge Sousuke's existence, instead choosing an unoccupied table in one of the quieter corners of the room.

And Sousuke—Kaname glanced over at her companion—Sousuke was so involved in a discussion with one of his neighbors that he didn't even notice Tessa's entrance into the room, even with the wave of sound that followed her path.

'_This is definitely odd. Great. As if I needed more things to worry about. First, I have to get over whatever my problem is and figure out a way to finally tell Sousuke I love him. Now, I've got to figure out what's going on with the two of them. Has Tessa lost interest in Sousuke? Hmmm… Not likely. Maybe they had a fight? But why would he get into an argument with a superior officer? She's in command of everyone on the ship, isn't she? I wouldn't think he'd do anything as rebellious as arguing with his commander, no matter what the reason. But then, Sousuke has definitely been doing a lot of things I didn't think he would lately…'_

Kaname was distracted from her attempt at reasoning through the possibilities by a tap on her shoulder.

One of the cooks, whom she vaguely remembered having helped peel potatoes on her first and last visit to the Dana, was holding a platter on which rested a whole grilled fish.

Her fish.

He set it down between her and Sousuke with a flourish and then motioned to an assistant to place the rest of the dishes in front of them. Kaname could only stare dumfounded at the large sea bass cooked to perfection and sitting in front of her.

'_He had them cook my fish for me. He actually went to all the trouble of having them cook my fish for me. It's stuff like this that really reminds me why I love the doofus.'_

In just moments, the group of people around the two of them had thickened into a crowd, attracting the attention of some of the other Mithril personnel scattered around the room. Including the captain.

Kaname noticed that Tessa had made her way over when the crowd parted somewhat to let her closer to the table. Sousuke was busy telling the story of her not-so-epic battle with the fish to the interested bystanders, most of whom were smiling at the tale of her struggle with the medium-sized bass.

Though Tessa was smiling along with everyone else, Kaname couldn't help but notice that the smiles directed towards the area where she and Sousuke sat were strained—none of her usual bubbly sisterly affection towards her crew or the deeper affection she held for Sousuke in evidence. Rather, it seemed to be an effort on her part to even be smiling at all, which was definitely un-Tessalike.

Kaname could only file this on her mental "list of crap to worry about later," resolving to simply enjoy the meal with Sousuke.

After the crowd dispersed, she and Sousuke dug in to their meal. The fish was excellent, though the conversation was uninspiring. Kaname wasn't about to discuss anything really personal with all the potential eavesdroppers nearby. They managed to get through the meal without discussing anything more substantial than the fishing earlier that day and the pop quiz they'd had in Japanese History last week.

As they left the mess hall so that Sousuke could escort her back to the guest quarters, the cook from earlier hurried up to them with a small bag.

"When we found out you'd be visiting, we decided to make you a little treat in celebration. Since you're leaving, you can eat them at the guest quarters."

"Thank you!" Kaname took the bag, supporting it with one hand underneath the bottom.

"Umm, what is it?"

"Oh! Crème Brulee. You may need to microwave the raspberry sauce. I included a small container of that in the bag."

"Thank you, again."

Shooting a look towards Sousuke, Kaname could only wonder when he'd made the arrangements for such a sweet gesture. She no longer doubted that he'd orchestrated pretty much the entire evening, and wondered exactly how far back his plotting went. She was beginning to think that maybe this entire trip had been orchestrated by this strange person formerly known as Sousuke, and her feelings of being led towards something inevitable only increased.


End file.
